Sunday, May 26, 2013

Do all boys fight like this?

My boys have been in rare form that last couple of days.  I had really committed to curbing my yelling.  Making fewer outrageous threats of bodily harm that I'd never in a million years follow through with.  We'd had a few really good weeks where I really thought I was being a more patient parent.  I was thinking that the boys were really doing better and improving their behavior by leaps and bounds.  Apparently the boys were just lulling me into a false sense of peace and chose the last few days to stick it to me.  

The fighting.  Oh the fighting!  I'm ashamed to send my kid to daycare when I work because he's always got at least 2 sets of his brother's teeth marks on him.  It's summer - that shit shows now!  No long pants and sleeves to cover it.  They gouge eyes, they twist ears, they pinch.  How does a 2 year old know this stuff? Are boys born with an innate talent for inflicting pain upon their siblings?  They fight over toys.  They fight over whose mommy I am.  They. Fight. Over. Everything.

I have yelled.  I have threatened.  I have spanked.  Every time Thing 2 pushes over the rocking horse with Thing 1 on it.  Or shoves him off the big wheel.  Or when Thing 1 tries to push Thing 2 off a couch or down the stairs.   I have sent them to their rooms.  I make them apologize and say they love each other.  And the fighting continues.  I've lost track of how many times I've said the words "We do not hurt our brother.  We are family.  We love each other."   I'm tired and I'm hoarse.  At some point the fighting has to stop, doesn't it?  I'm thinking I should let them work it out and go do some yoga.  Or take some Xanax.  Or drink a bottle of wine.


Wednesday, May 22, 2013

We love the museum.

We took the boys to the Children's Museum last Sunday.  It was a lazy, laid back trip.  Ok, I lie.  Not much is lazy and laid back with Things 1 and 2.  We also took their 12 year old twin cousins along to help wrangle the boys.  Fun was had by all.  

This was our first trip out without keeping the boys in a stroller to get in and out.  They did surprisingly well.        The best thing about taking Thing 2 to the museum is that his feet never stop moving the entire time we are there.  You pick him up to carry him and they keep going like he's still running.  And that's the other thing about good ole Thing 2 - he never stopped running.  If you tried to block him from leaving an area he would just drop and roll around you on the ground, or crawl on his hands and knees.  He will use any means of evasion necessary to avoid being stopped.  

His favorite things are the fire truck, the motorcycle, and the big rig.  He was a constant photo bomber at the motorcycle because he would run over when other kids were on it to push the pedals and make it vroom.   And after attempting to steal some older kids glasses in the big rig I had to ban him from it.  Be glad I was the parent witnessing that, the Hubs said if it had been him he would have asked the older kid (he was probably 6 or 7) why he was being such a puss and letting a 2 year old steal his glasses.  

Thing 1 is so  well behaved on comparison.  He goes to an area and plays there then will follow you to the next area with minimal prodding.  He loves the water area and always leaves with a soaking shirt.  

We didn't even make it to the top level.  On our last trip, there Thing 2 may or may not have thrown some toys over the railing - I won't confirm or deny this.  On this trip he repeatedly busted through the Plexiglas panels partitioning off a display.  Who uses wobbly Plexiglas to keep toddlers out of something? No one, that's who.  I will say that he wasn't the only small one who did this while we were there.  I fear the day that we go into a place like this and see our picture up with a "no admittance allowed" sign.  




We left after an hour.  Thing 1 was red faced and his hair was wet with sweat, but he was the least tired of us all.  Thing 1 didn't make it out of the parking garage before he fell asleep.  We've already decided that the Children's Zoo with be our next adventure.  They've never been there without being strapped into the stroller!